An interdisciplinary study of the historical and social contexts of personal, cultural and political aspects of LGBT life. Sources from a variety of fields, such as anthropology, history, psychology, sociology, and women's studies, focusing on writings by and about LGBT people.

Exploration of literary and cultural expressions of sexuality and gender. Study of a range of historical periods and literary genres, such as essay, poetry, novel, drama, film. Topics include sexual norms and dissidence, gender identity and expression, the relationship between aesthetic forms and sexual subjectivity. Interpretation of texts particularly through the lens of queer theory. Examination of how sex and gender intersect with other forms of difference, including race and class.

Study of differences, stereotypes, and values distinguishing LGBT people and of effective means of communicating such differences to non-LGBT people. Emphasis on contemporary LGBT life and on the development of didactic skills. Preparation and presentation of forums on LGBT people; facilitation of workshops in various outreach locations (residence halls, Greek system, classes).

Supervised internship experience with a community organization that expressly serves lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Students will be expected to relate course material to experience in an analysis of an organization's activities.

Black Queer Studies is an intersectional and interdisciplinary approach to LGBTQ+ Studies and Race Studies. In this course, we will center Blackness to meditate upon the overlapping and interwoven categories of race, gender, and sexuality with the goal of decoupling whiteness from LGBTQ+ studies and decoupling heterosexuality from Black studies. We will look at texts from the social sciences and humanities as well as some short literature and film in order to think about how Black queer liberation can provide tools and a guide for all of our collective liberation.